The Star Child
by TriDogMom
Summary: Written for the Once Upon a Time Fairy Tale Fest


_***A/N:**_** I hate these at the beginning, so sorry. This was for the Once Upon a Time Fairy Tale Fest on Ao3. I was given the fairy tale The Star Child by Oscar Wilde. **

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**PITY **[**pit**-ee]

_noun _the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others.

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In a family full of stars, Narcissa Black was a flower. While they were bright sparkling lights surrounded by darkness that hid in the sun, she wilted in the darkness and grew in the light. Growing up surrounded by so much darkness made Narcissa weak, fragile, and prone to sway wherever the winds of change took her.

As our flower grew in age, she attended a school within a magical castle and finally met her true love, Lucius, a wizard whose name meant light. Basking in this light, and through his love and nurturing, our fragile flower bloomed into a beautiful woman that stood strong. Deep roots kept her grounded in her belief of love, family, and the ancient Gods.

After leaving the castle, she was bound to her light in an ancient ceremony. A bond that would last longer than this lifetime, longer than a hundred lifetimes. She and Lucius tied their love, souls, and blood to each other for eternity. Naked, in the light of the full moon that night, they sealed their bond in a ritual as old as time itself. Declaring their love for each other in screams of ecstasy to the Gods, they both sent up a silent prayer that they would be blessed with a child.

The Gods did not bless their union with a child that night. Narcissa was brokenhearted but knew that it could take time. For many years she would pray for a child to be born. Every month on the night of the new moon, no matter the weather, she returned to the place where her husband had first spilled his seed inside of her and completed the fertility ritual that was handed down, mother to daughter, for generations of her family.

Setting five bonfires at the points of the pentagram, she would add the herbs to be burned as offerings to the Gods. Each offering, basil, mistletoe, mugwort, pine, and bergamot, would help increase her fertility. Lying naked on the grass, she would insert a jade egg into her most holy space. As she found her release each month, she would ask the Gods to bless her with a child.

On the exceptionally cold night of the September full moon, six years after they had been bound, Narcissa fell into a deep sleep after their coupling. She awoke in a place that she didn't recognize, laying on a bed of thick moss. Even though it was night in her dreams, the forest around her was illuminated in a soft glow. Looking around, nearly everything she could see was covered in the same thick moss; it dripped from the trees, and covered the ground. The only things free from the moss were tall ferns and a winding pathway.

A sudden flash of light from above caused her to look up and see a star falling from the sky. The streak of glittering light that followed the star was heading towards the forest in which she stood. Rushing forward, she entered a meadow and beheld a glowing golden object in front of her. Stepping closer, she saw it's scaled outer shell seemed to glow from within and realized it was an egg. As soon as she thought this, the egg opened, and the most beautiful silver dragon appeared.

The dragon saw her, and she knew this was the child she had prayed for all these many years. Coming closer, the dragon nuzzled against her neck before it whispered softly in her ear.

"I am coming for you. Raise me well."

Nine months later, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy welcomed their son into the world. Narcissa never told Lucius about the dream, but insisted they name him Draco after the dragon star. After the baby was washed, she wrapped him in a gold blanket and promised him he would have anything in the world his heart desired.

Draco grew into a beautiful child. His hair was as white as the full moon, and his eyes were as grey as its reflection on a forest pond. He had many friends that followed him around and did whatever he said. Narcissa and Lucius gave in to his every impulse; he could do no wrong in their eyes. They heard the rumors that he was a spoiled child- '_well of course he is, we waited for him for so long, why wouldn't we give him everything?' _-but knew he was a sweet boy. They heard whispers that he was cruel to animals, '_He is boisterous, but he wouldn't hurt a fly.'_

He lived with his parents for eleven years before going away to school in the same magical castle where his parents had met, and his mother prayed he would find true love like she had. Once there, his behavior became worse. Excelling at everything he tried, he mocked everyone that wasn't as talented or as intelligent as he was. However, there was one girl, Hermione, who _was _intelligent and surpassed him in every subject. Being a humble girl, she did not boast of her achievements, but let her scores speak for themselves. He was especially cruel to her for she was of lowly birth, while he was the child of light and darkness combined; a gift from the stars themselves. One day, having enough of his treatment, Hermione did stand up to him. She told him that he was evil and vile and slapped him across the face. Instead of humbling him, he became even more cruel.

His group of friends became a gang of bullies that no one would dare stand up to. Where he went, they followed. Whoever he teased, they teased. He would throw rocks at the creatures that lived in the forest and they would laugh. He would trip students in the corridors and his friends would push them down as well. The professors of the school tried to speak to him, to teach him to treat everyone as equals, but he would not listen. Choosing instead to go back to his gang of friends to find another person to torment.

As Draco grew older, an influential wizard, Lord Voldemort, rose to power. He was an ugly creature, more serpent than man, but was skilled with his words and promises of power. Narcissa prayed to the Gods and knew this man to be evil, but her beloved Lucius was enchanted by the serpent's tongue and joined the Dark Lord and his followers. Lucius gained his favor quickly and soon became a most trusted advisor.

The other men who joined his cause were the fathers of the children in Draco's pack. The gang held him in higher esteem now, and he could do no wrong. Being the son of Voldemort's right-hand man made him more powerful than anyone else in the castle. The increase of his influence on his friends and the fear they instilled throughout the castle made him hated by all outside of his inner circle. Even his friends were not spared from his cruelty, but they stood by his side nonetheless.

Lord Voldemort summoned Lucius and gave him a job to do. He needed to trick Hermione's best friend, Harry, to steal a valuable orb. For this Lucius needed to capture the boy, take the orb, and then let the boy go. He could hurt the child, but must leave him alive. Narcissa feared the outcome and begged Lucius to send someone else in his place, but Lucius had grown addicted to the power he held and craved more. He finally agreed to not go on this mission alone but to take a few additional Death Eaters with him to appease his wife.

When Lucius arrived alongside a few of Voldemort's followers, he was surprised to find that Harry was not alone. He was surrounded by several other students, including Hermione. Lucius did not want to fight children. Even though he loved the powerful position he held, he loved his son and did not want to harm another parent's child, even if they were Mudbloods and Blood Traitors.

Calmly asking Harry to hand over the orb his Lord so desperately wanted, Lucius was frustrated that Harry would not listen. A spell was fired from behind Lucius, and soon both sides were firing hexes at each other, some deadly. Lucius watched in horror as members from the group that opposed his leader arrived, and then terror filled him as Harry broke the orb. He tried to run, to escape and return home to his Narcissa, but he was pulled back by a magical restraint. Instead of the glory he had imagined, he was sent to prison, never knowing if he would see his family again.

Narcissa was devastated. With Lucius in prison the monster had moved into her home. Surrounded by darkness and without her Light, our flower began to wilt again. At last, her Dragon came home from the castle, but life was not the same. Voldemort claimed Lucius had failed him and now their family must pay. For the two months the mother and son were together, they lived in fear.

Right before Draco was to return to the castle, he was given an impossible task, one that his mother knew could only end in his death. He resisted but Voldemort said it must be done, or his mother would pay the price.

Draco was scared, but determined to complete his task. "I have friends, Mother. They will help me."

Returning to the castle, Draco went to his cronies, but they had renounced him. Now that his father was no longer powerful, they wanted nothing to do with him. Everyone he asked for help had a reason to forsake him:

"You called me stupid. Why should I help you?"

"You said I wasn't worth the air I breathed. Why should I waste a breath in your service?"

"You said I was dumb. Why should I speak on your behalf?"

"You swore I was deaf. Why should I listen to you now?"

He was left on his own, and every day he cried and prayed to the Gods his Mother loved dearly for forgiveness. He walked the path Voldemort had set for him, scared and alone for months. He saw his Mother once, very briefly, and could see her wilting away before him, yet there was nothing he could do for her.

The days he had to complete his task were growing to a close and he knew he wasn't strong enough to complete it, no matter how hard he tried to pretend. The Gods showed him mercy right at the end, and a Prince saved his soul at the last possible minute. The task Voldemort had given him was completed, even though it wasn't by him. There was a celebration that night for all the serpents followers. Draco tried to hide but Voldemort found him and tortured him for hours while his Mother was forced to watch.

Once again, the Prince saved him; healing his injuries and offering him comfort. "You will live, our little Dragon. Your mother loves you, your father loves you, and I love you. We will always protect you."

His father came home from prison, and the family changed. Everyday she spent in the arms of her Light, Narcissa became stronger. She changed from a delicate flower susceptible to the forces of nature, to a flower forged from steel, able to face anything. Lucius was weaker than he had ever been, in spirit, and physically since Voldemort decided he no longer needed a wand. Draco became withdrawn from all but his Mother and the Prince; the two people who had stood by him at his lowest.

A war began between Voldemort's followers and his opposition. Draco was at school and removed from it, for the most part. The Prince was the Headmaster and protected his Dragon as much as he could. His former friends tormented him. Their fathers now had the respect of Voldemort and they knew Draco and his family had lost their standing in the Dark Lord's eyes.

While home for a holiday break, a group of the monster's followers brought in a few members of the opposition. They were all young, about Draco's age, and even though they were across the room from him, he could see they were dirty, thin, and exhausted. His aunt, an unstable witch, was convinced one of them was Harry, Voldemort's most hated enemy.

"Draco, come tell me if this is Harry. If it is, Voldemort will reward you and your family. You will regain all your former glory."

It was a tempting offer for Draco. He hated that he was being treated like horribly by everyone who used to follow him. He was of high status, yet was treated as if he was the offspring of the lowliest birth. Coming closer and looking into the faces of the youth in front of him, he knew immediately that it was those who the Dark Lord sought. Draco knew Harry and his friends well; they went to school together for six years, and he had spent all six of them bullying the trio.

He was about to tell his aunt their identities when he made eye contact with Hermione. She looked at him with the same determination in her eyes as she had the day she slapped him in the face. Somehow this look caused him more pain than any slap ever could. Here was a witch he felt was below him, yet instead of cowering before him, she was facing her future as brave as a lioness.

"I am not sure."

"How are you not sure?" She turned the group, "Here, this is the Granger girl. You told me about her once, you know her."

Once again he looked into Hermione's eyes. He gave her a look of pity, "I do not recognize her at all. You must be mistaken."

Not believing him, his aunt tortured Hermione on the floor in front of him. She used curses that caused horrible pain, the same curses Voldemort had used on him earlier. She used a knife and carved into her arm, and cut into her wanted to help her, to kill his aunt for causing this brave witch so much anguish. Hermione looked into his eyes multiple times, and every time he stepped forward to help her before being pulled back by his mother.

"There is nothing we can do right now my Dragon."

Tears fell down his face as he watched her tears clean tracks through the dirt on her face. Before she passed out from the pain of her torture, she looked at him, gave him a small nod, and closed her eyes.

The rest of the war passed in a blur, only flashes of moments sticking out in his mind. Seeing Hermione escape from his house, his father insisting he retrieve a tiara from the Hidden Room, a fist coming out of nowhere to save his life, hearing the news his Prince, Severus, had been killed by Voldemort, seeing Voldemort's dead body hit the floor.

* * *

Sitting in a chair with his wrists and ankles in shackles, Draco was terrified. He was standing trial for crimes committed during Voldemort's reign. He had done things he was not proud of, horrible things in the forced service of Lord Voldemort he knew he should not have done. But they were done to protect the life of his mother. The crowd in the courtroom was yelling for his death. They wanted to see him pay. They knew from his father's trial the day before that he had stood and watched while Hermione, a princess in the eyes of the public, was tortured. He watched their princess and did nothing to save her.

The court seemed to skim over every crime he committed and only focused on the torture of Hermione. They knew that with the public behind them they could send him to prison for the maximum number of years. He could hear his mother, who had no charges against her, crying in the row behind him. The sound of her tears seemed to drown out all other sounds in the courtroom.

All sounds except the sound of the door opening and the tap, tap, tap of heels walking across the stone floor. Looking up, he saw Hermione walk fully into the room and stand next to him like all witnesses did.

"Witness for the prosecution. Are you Hermione Jean Granger?"

"Yes."

"And were you tortured at the home of Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes."

"And is it true that Mr. Malfoy did nothing to avoid or help you while you were being tortured?"

"No."

A gasp ran through the courtroom. No one expected the princess to say no. She, of all people, knew what a villain Draco Malfoy was. What was she playing at?

"Miss Granger, please confirm your answer. Are you saying that Mr. Malfoy helped you avoid being tortured, or that he helped you while it was happening?"

"Both."

Draco sat there in shock, mouth hanging open. He knew that he had not disclosed her identity, but little good that did as his aunt tormented her with the cruelest spells. His desire to help her was outweighed by his obedience to his mother's command.

"Miss Granger, can you please explain in detail? As you know, you need to answer honestly as this will determine if Mr. Malfoy will serve time in prison for his crimes."

"I understand. When we arrived at Malfoy Manor, Draco Malfoy was asked to identify Harry Potter. He made eye contact with all of us and I could see he knew who we were, but said he was not sure. His aunt turned our group so that I was standing right in front of Mr. Malfoy. He looked into my eyes and told her he did not recognize me at all.

"His aunt called him a liar and sent the rest of the group away so she could torture me. Multiple times Mr. Malfoy tried to approach me, to rescue me. But every time he was pulled back. If he had interfered, we both certainly would have been killed. Every time I felt like I couldn't take anymore of the pain, I would look over at Mr. Malfoy. He would make eye contact with me and it kept me strong. Without his presence in the room, I would not have been able to survive."

Hermione was dismissed from the courtroom as the judges cast their votes. In a strange twist of fate, the princess saved the dragon and he was able to walk free that day. As he left the room, his mother by his side, he looked for Hermione, but did not see her. That night he used his owl to send her a message. He wanted to meet her for lunch and to thank her for all she had done for her.

Meeting in a small café near her house, he stood as she walked in. "Hello."

"Hi."

Sitting across the table across from her, there were so many things he wanted to say. Apologies for the years of cruelty, gratitude for her testimony, praise her strength. When he opened his mouth, the only thing that came out was, "Why?"

"Because you showed me pity first, when I needed it most."

They stayed at the café talking to each other for hours. For the first time since they had met, they finally got to know each other for who they really were, not who they assumed the other person to be. That first day turned into meeting weekly at the café, then going to dinner a few times a week.

A year into their friendship, they realized they had fallen deeply in love with each other. Another year later, using the same ceremony his parents had used so long ago, they bound themselves to each other for eternity. The princess had become his queen and moved into a castle with her dragon, filling it with children.

She continued to support him in everything he did. With her good influence, he quickly overcame the reputation of his past. Twenty years into their relationship he became the highest ranking official in the land, Minister for Magic, where he ruled over his people with a good heart. The lands prospered and the people were happy.


End file.
